NEW AMERYKAH PT. 2 PREVIEW

Here's a short glimpse into the listening party for Erykah Badu's upcoming New Amerykah Pt. 2 Return of the Ankh from Creative Control TV. Peep out Dame Dash's new gallery/studio, DD172. On some fresh grown art steez.

Dropping in February yall.

-ET

ET | NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH

CLICK COVER ART TO DOWNLOAD

Here's another compilation of classics made with emotion from the heart.. for all those who know what that warm fuzzy feels like. :)

Artwork by Parts Bagani

-ET

A WORLD TO CHANGE | Human Rights Video Installation

This was a video installation made by cultural workers from Habi-Arts and AnakBayan-LA for the "Upholding Human Rights, Life, and Dignity" Art Show on International Human Rights Day (Dec 10, 2009).

The president of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, declared Martial Law in a southern province of the country (Maguindanao) a few days earlier. This video installation was made in response and condemnation of her actions.

Please support the NEVER AGAIN TO MARTIAL LAW Coalition and help build international pressure to stop Martial Law in the Philippines now.

For more info, visit bayanusa.org

...after the art show, there was the standard spontaneous scratch session!

TONIGHT in LA! INTL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY ARTSHOW

What up fellow humans! Today is International Human Rights Day and in honor of it, Bayan USA is putting on an artshow/open mic at the Downtown LA Art Walk.

Live performances by Shining Sons and many others.. Also, come and check out the first-ever Human Rights video installation I helped to put together with my brotha Chris. Aww yeah, experimenting with new forms, but still stepping up the content!

Come thru tonight, peep the art, enjoy the performances, and learn about the current state of Martial Law in the Southern Philippines (Maguindanao), plus what we need to do here in the U.S. to put international pressure on the Arroyo government to stop it ASAP.

Thanks y'all and hope you can make it!

WHERE: Fernando's Hideaway (F Square Printing), 519 S. Spring St., LA, CA 90013

WHEN: Thursday, December 10, 2009 (7-10pm)

NEVER AGAIN TO MARTIAL LAW!

-ET

How is the Problem-Maker the Problem-Solver?

The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.

The Story of Cap & Trade is a fast-paced, fact-filled look at the leading climate solution being discussed at Copenhagen and on Capitol Hill. Host Annie Leonard introduces the energy traders and Wall Street financiers at the heart of this scheme and reveals the "devils in the details" in current cap and trade proposals: free permits to big polluters, fake offsets and distraction from what’s really required to tackle the climate crisis. If you’ve heard about Cap & Trade, but aren’t sure how it works (or who benefits), this is the film is for you.

I think Annie Leonard is on point with this one. How can you trust the people who got us into this mess (the entire mess - all messes -every single, pile of sh*t) to be the ones who are going to come up with a plan to solve it?

Fool me once, shame on... shame on you. Fool me twice... shamon!

-Chris G.

Golden State of Mind

2 more weeks of school and I'll finally be posted up here...

While I was driving back to Santa Cruz from our newly acquired spot in Oakland (Yessssir! Flo and I gotta new place!) on THE 580 (you can take me outta LA/Carson, but you can't take the LA/Carson outta me), the Jay-Z song came on the radio and I thought to myself, "it'd be tight if someone made a Bay remix of this." Low and behold, I got on my laptop that same night and somehow stumbled on this video. It's been on my constant rotation ever since. Peep their blog at teambackpack.com

Absolutely, cannot wait to start working with the talented, young folks of the Bay! But first things first... gotta get hired. I've been applying and applying but still no luck. Anyone got any connections?

-Chris G.

ET | BLINKING EYES

CLICK COVER ART TO DOWNLOAD

Here's a new compilation I just made of songs I'm feeling right now. Shout out to the music blog Blind I For The Kids that the homie Elow just put me on to. Super fresh new sounds coming out that crew..

This comp also features exclusive tracks from SHINING SONS and NIKO PAG-ASA, some up-and-coming emcees from the LBC.

Feel free to share it with the homies.. Enjoy!

-ET

BEATROCK MUSIC LABEL LAUNCH THIS FRIDAY!!!

Check out the artists who will be performing THIS FRIDAY at the Beatrock Music Launch/CounterParts Release Party:

(all the "divshare" links are free downloads!)

Bambu and DJ Phatrick - Ain't No Future In Yo Frontin' 2009:

Otayo Dubb - The Dealership (feat. Akil, Tahaj the 1st, and Hudathawt):

Rhythm Natives - So Fire:

EyeASage - MRSHMLO:

Bwan - Wake The F*ck Up:

The Aesthetics Crew - The City Beat:

The Fighting Cocks - Exact Change Interlude:

Power Struggle - Sometimes Rappin' Ain't Enough:

ET of Mass Movement - Planet Earth Was My Place Of Birth Part I:

The CounterParts - What We Do:

IT ALL GOES DOWN THIS FRIDAY AT DAKOTA LOUNGE!!!

Event Info:

Friday, November 20th, 2009Dakota Lounge (formerly Temple Bar)

1026 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA

(310) 393-8200 http://www.dakotalounge.com/

Doors open at 8pm $12 at the door, $10 pre-sale (available at

http://www.beatrock.com)

Pre-Sale Ticket/CounterParts CD and Ticket/CounterParts CD/Limited Edition T-shirt combination deals will are now available at http://www.beatrock.com

-Fatgums

Staples Center Collapses.

Osshhh...

Fatal Staples Center Collapse Brings Merciful Early End To Clippers Game

-Chris G.

AOKI film premiere this Thursday!!

Calling all Bay area residents!! You don't want to miss the premiere of this groundbreaking film on the life of Richard Aoki, the legendary Asian American activist who was a founding member of the Black Panther Party.

The film debuts this Thursday, November 12, 2009 at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, CA. There will be a 30-minute Q&A with filmmakers Ben Wang and Mike Cheng following the film. Much props to these brothers for creating a much needed film for this and all future generations..



Online pre-sale tickets can be purchased for $8.50 (general admission) or $7 (students) at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87178. A small service fee will be added by Brown Paper Tickets.

Tickets can also be purchased the night of the premiere at the Grand Lake Theater’s box office for $10 (general admission) or $9 (students).

For more info, check out: aokifilm.com

-ET

NIKO PAG-ASA "International Eye"

Niko Pag-Asa is back!!! After having gone M.I.A. for hella months, there's some recent activity from this elusive MC on his blog: nikopagasa.blogspot.com

He just recently leaked a rare unreleased track called "International Eye" which apparently dates back to 2007.

DOWNLOAD HERE

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

-ET

Post-Racial America's Next Top Model

T.Y.-to-the-argh uhh, I still don't get the "love" part of the love/hate relationship some of my friends have with her. As problematic and as many issues this clip brings up, Tyra has once again left me starring at my computer screen, disturbed to the point of laughing, unable to articulate anything but "wow...WOW"!

If you don't have that much time to waste just watch the first minute and then jump to 6:00 and see what the Asian sista comes up with...



And if you have a lot of time to waste read this not-so-on-point article by the LA Times' representative of mixed raced residents of Hawai'i. Where do they find these people? Oh yeah, LA.

-Tadillac

New Moon Soundtrack

I know how it sounds when people say they read playboy for the articles, but I really do watch some flicks just for the music. As a kid bred on hip hop I rely on films and their soundtracks to introduce me to different artists. Even if the film is not the greatest, the soundtrack can almost save it, especially with those "I have White people problems" type joints, think Garden State or The Last Kiss. So when your 12 year-old cousin asks you to see the new Twilight movie, peep the soundtrack before you say no. Death Cab, Thom, Lykke Li, Grizzly Bear, Sea Wolf..I'm just sayin.

Thom Yorke - Hearing Damage

DOWNLOAD HERE

Lykke Li - Possibility

DOWNLOAD HERE

-Tadillac

SAVE THE DATE - Nov. 20th - Beatrock Music Label Launch/The CounterParts Album Release Party

Friday, November 20th marks the launch of the new independent record label, Beatrock Music. The party will also celebrate the label's first official release, The CounterParts' self-titled debut album. There will be a stacked line-up of live performances by label artists and affiliated musicians from all across California:

THE COUNTERPARTS:

T-Know, BraelanB, Otayo Dubb, Gammaray and Fatgums are patnas who have been making music together since the '90's. Reunited to form The CounterParts, this allstar crew is ready to rock the mic and turntables once again. Download their album Appetizer for free: http://www.zshare.net/download/50554513e6871707#. For more info visit http://www.myspace.com/counterpartscrew.

BAMBU & DJ PHATRICK:

Two-thirds of the legendary group Native Guns, Bambu and DJ Phatrick have been spending the last few years rocking stages across the globe. These dudes bring it live. For more info visit http://www.bambu.la and http://www.djphatrick.com

RHYTHM NATIVES:

Southern Cali's illest live hip hop band cooks up an organic mix of hip hop, jazz, R&B, and soul. Now in the studio with producer Asi Friedman, the 'Natives will be releasing their highly anticipated full-length album in early 2010. For more info visit http://www.rhythmnatives.com

OTAYO DUBB:

After two records with acclaimed hip-hop group Co-Deez, Oakland emcee Otayo Dubb is going solo. 'Tayo defines his sound as "Blue collar hip-hop for the Joe Dubsacks out here who like to light up a fat one and get their headnod on after work." His solo debut, entitled A WOLF IN SHEEP'S MUSIC, will drop in early 2010 as a collaborative release from Beatrock Music and Hella Records. For more info visit http://www.myspace.com/otayodubb

POWER STRUGGLE:

Spitting grimy yet intelligent Midwest rhymes over Mister REY and Fatgums’ sample heavy score, Nomi of Power Struggle brings a new rawness to Asian American hip hop. Watch for their new album entitled Remittances, slated to drop in December of 2009 on Beatrock Music. Download the album sampler for free: http://www.zshare.net/download/65378110473f7f9b/ For more info visit http://www.myspace.com/powerstruggle

AESTHETICS CREW:

In the hallowed brew-school tradition of cup-in-hand rhyming at backyard house parties, the Los Angeles-based Aesthetics crew is here to put the fun back in the funk. Following in the footsteps of legends like the Get Fresh Crew, Native Tongues or 3rd Bass, Indi, Aidge and DJ Props fuse candid rhymes with melodic beats to create a refreshing sound in the midst of a stagnant hip-hop scene. For more info visit http://aestheticscrew.com/

ROCKY RIVERA:

Rocky Rivera (aka EyeASage) is a vicious MC from San Francisco. She dropped her hood classic mixtape, "Married To The Hustle" in 2008 and is releasing her highly anticipated debut album "Rocky Rivera" soon. For more info visit http://www.myspace.com/eyeasagemuzikpage, http://www.youtube.com/eyeasage and http://www.guerillabusfare.com

BWAN & MISTER REY:

The deadly combination of BWAN's spitfire lyrics and Mister REY's head breaking production make this San Francisco duo a force to be reckoned with. Together they send an arsenal of true-school Bay Area hip hop straight to the eardrums. For more info visit http://www.myspace.com/mistahrey and http://www.myspace.com/bwan1

The evening will be hosted by Bambu.

Mass Movement DJs and DJ Phatrick will be on the wheels of steel.

Event Info:

- Beatrock Music Label Launch/CounterParts CD Release Party

- Friday, November 20th at Dakota Lounge (formerly Temple Bar)

- 1026 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA - (310) 393-8200

- http://www.dakotalounge.com/

- Doors open at 8pm

- $12 at the door, $10 pre-sale (available at http://www.beatrock.com)

- Pre-Sale Ticket/CounterParts CD and Ticket/CounterParts CD/Limited Edition T- shirt combination deals will also be available at http://www.beatrock.com

-Fatgums

I Heart Hulu

In addition to not being able to wake up and watch football on the weekends, these clips really make me want to get cable (and a HD TV, and a DVR). But Hulu holds me down. These videos are worth sitting through the short commercials, especially if you haven't seen them before:

The Daily Show feature on the new Republican Party website:

The Daily Show: Slim Thug Feels the Recession

The Queen on SNL: Excedrin for Racial Tension Headaches

-Tadillac

Song Wins Special Jury Award at the San Diego Asian Film Festival!

A Song For Ourselves won the Short Film Special Jury Award last weekend at the San Diego Asian Film Fest. SDAFF has a super official awards gala that Eric Tandoc and I were lucky enough to attend. "Lucky" meaning that the San Diego JACL generously sponsored our tickets and let us sit at their table. Eric made the most of the free beer while I popped an anti-anxiety pill.



There was a gala after-party which was "cool, but it's not what i'm use too" so i celebrated the night with the homies from AnakBayan LA & SD over some late night carne asada fries:


Mass Movement in the building! Eric's film Sounds Of A New Hope screened to a packed house.


-Tadillac

7th Annual Practical Activism Conference @ UC Santa Cruz

If you happen to be around the Bay this weekend, come check out the 7th Annual Practical Activism Conference on Saturday the 24th, at UC Santa Cruz! There'll be a bunch of different workshops; some topics include Justice for AB540 students, Reducing Your Carbon Footprint, the UC Budget Crisis, & one that I'll be covering on Social Documentary film making. There will also be keynote speaker, Bettina Aptheker and a special performance/ workshop held by Oaktown's own Head Rush Crew.

For more info, peep activism.ucsc.edu

Here's a little promotional video I chopped up for the conference. Directed by Arlene Park. Music by Blue Scholars.

Don't Go To The Practical Activism Conference from Chris Guevarra on Vimeo.

-Chris G.

Reconsider Columbus Day

Reconsider Columbus Day by Nu Heightz Cinema

-Tadillac

Screenings in New Orleans, DC and Philly This Weekend

Three big screenings this weekend! All the films that are playing with A Song For Ourselves in these festivals are excellent, please try and catch one in your city. Unfortunately, I'll be stuck in my room working on film school applications.


DC APA Film Festival
Saturday, Oct. 10th @ 12p

Playing with Manilatown Is In The Heart This screening is FREE!


Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival
Sunday, Oct. 11th @ 1p Playing with Sounds of a New Hope by Mass Movement's own Eric Tandoc


New Orleans Film Festival
Sunday, Oct. 11th @ 5p Playing with A Village Called Versailles (I've heard this film is amazing. This will definitely be a special screening since it will be in New Orleans)

Bambu performing "Chairman Mao" in Honolulu

Couldn't shoot Bam & Phatty's performance at the premiere but did shoot them the next night at The Loft.



-Tadillac

Honolulu Weekly Cover Story

One of the coolest parts of the Hawai'i trip was going to Boots & Kimo's to eat this (banana pancakes swimming in macadamia nut sauce)...

...and then walking over to Foodland and seeing this:

The small print along the yellow fist reads "Long Live Chris Iijima"!

Read the whole article here.

-Tadillac

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chee Unit (Blue ScholarsXBambuXCreed)

What do you get when you have a recording studio full of Filipino rappers and a sarcastic Baha'i DJ? Welcome to the OOF! booth. To shoot the "Chee Unit" (Blue Scholars, Bambu, Creed) in Honolulu was dope, but to witness Geo's one-take murder was something special. See for yourself...

Oh yeah, the night continued with us getting locked IN the building and having to climb and scale our way out.

-Tadillac

Flicks from Hawai'i Premiere on Honozooloo

I had the privilege of meeting a grip of inspiring and talented people while in Hawai'i and photographer Aaron Yoshino was one of them. I became a fan of his photos earlier this year through his website honozooloo.com. After hanging out with all these filipinos, it was really good to see a fellow buddhahead making a name for himself and doin it big!

SEE ALL THE PHOTOS AT HONOZOOLOO.COM

Hawai'i Premiere/Concert on Sept. 24th!

The Hawai'i Premiere & Concert of A Song For Ourselves is going down on Sept. 24th at NEXTDOOR in Honolulu! It's gonna be a full-blown Cali invasion with performances by Bambu & DJ Phatrick, Power Struggle, and EyeASage. But most importantly, the event is a fundraiser for the Chris Iijima Scholarship Fund at the University of Hawai'i Law School.

For more info and to purchase tickets or donate to the fund, please go here.

-Tadillac

Power Struggle: Remittances ALBUM SAMPLER

click HERE to download it for FREE!

The "Hug Song" Video Dir. by Zia Moharjerjasbi

Best memorial videos ever! One of my favorite filmmakers Zia Mohajerjasbi made this piece for the memorial service of a close friend. A wise man taught me that good art comes down to: form, content, context. This piece highlights the importance of... context. If you've ever lost a loved one, take yourself back to their funeral and then through your tears you watch this. Brilliant!



Keep settin the bar Zia!

-Tadillac

End of Summer FUNK FUZZ

Say goodbye to the summer in true FUNK FUZZ style!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27th
Free before 10:30, $5 after

Spinning that new new music:
KRISSFADER
ET
ROOTS
ReVISION

Live performance by:
KONCEPT

Fallen Soulja

I can't believe I just heard about my fellow comrade and friend, Devin Cohee, passing away in February. I miss both you and Audrey very much. I can only hope that you two are slam dancing and skanking away in a punk rock heaven somewhere. As my friend Alex said, you and Audrey's spirit will continue with us "in the streets." Here's a piece Alex wrote for her: ----------

A passionate

fighter for

justice

Alessandro Tinonga pays tribute to Devin Cohee, a dedicated activist and socialist.

OUR COMRADE Devin Cohee died tragically in Santa Cruz, Calif., on February 28. She was a loving friend, a driven activist and an unyielding revolutionary. Her passing is a mighty loss to the antiwar and socialist movements.

Devin was a true revolutionary in the way that she identified all oppressed and exploited peoples' struggles as her own.

She proudly expressed her sexuality in the face of gendered bigotry. She organized against the racist death penalty as if every inmate was a member of her family. Every march for immigrant rights left her with a strained voice after hours of yelling on the bullhorn. She never shied away from defending the right of the Palestinian people to resist.

Devin's biggest passion was ending U.S. imperialism. She protested the first Gulf War as a child with her father, and got involved in Students Against War (SAW) at the University of California-Santa Cruz as soon as she arrived at college. During her time in SAW, she helped organize a kiss-in against military recruiters, a march that kicked them out and several teach-ins.

What you can do

There will be a wake for Devin in Santa Cruz on Friday, March 6, at the Zami Co-op (807 Laurel St.), starting at 4 p.m.

Messages of sympathy and solidarity may be sent to Devin's parents at 25 Via Athena, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656.

Early this year, she helped found the Santa Cruz chapter of the Campus Antiwar Network. Devin worked very hard to bring antiwar vets to speak on campus and build bridges with Arab and Muslim students to build the movement.

Devin was, above all, an unapologetic and committed socialist. Almost as soon as she joined the antiwar movement, Devin joined the Santa Cruz branch of the International Socialist Organization. In no time, she led with her keen intellect. She was open to talking politics with anyone, she made theory accessible to everyone, and she utilized her sass and smile to make activism fun.

Sometimes, Devin's political energy and enthusiasm was unexplainable. She would stay up all night at the annual Socialism conferences, arguing politics with comrades and strangers, then using a few spare moments, she'd touch up her makeup, grab a cup of coffee and head to the first sessions of the morning, as sharp as a tack.

Unfortunately, she didn't fulfill her personal goal of being named one of the top 10 security threats to the state of California by Gov. Schwarzenegger.

In the past few years, Devin had faced incredible hardship. In 2006, she was hospitalized after a car wreck that killed her friend, Audrey Castellanos, and injured both her and her friend Jacquie. From an early age, she was diagnosed with arthritis, which caused her severe pain that she tried to treat with many different medications, all of which caused awful side effects. Even when she was in pain, she still went on long marches, paper sales and picket lines.

Devin would sometimes--half-joking and half-serious--declare that capitalism was killing her. It may be reckless to say that universal health care and free college tuition would have saved Devin's life, but she would be the first to point out that such things are necessary and must be won. Then, she would wrap up by calling for workers' power.

Our struggles won't be the same without her. Devin has and will continue to inspire her friends, allies and comrades to carry on the fights to which she devoted her life.

Comrade, we will miss you, but we will never forget you. Devin Cohee: Presente!

-------

RIP Devin

-Chris G.

Skating From Kabul to LA

If we could pass out skateboards to everyone in world, the world would most definitely be a better place. Check out these photos on the link below by LA Times Photographer, Rick Loomis.

Photos: Skating together in Kabul -- latimes.com
Posted using ShareThis
---------------------------------------
Skating makes everyday feel like a good day. Who can you spot in the video below?

Hint:
Can this be Mass Movement's very own Tadillac disguising himself with a fake mustache?

-Chris G.

Blue Scholars - HI-808 Video

The Scholars just dropped the first video off their new EP scheduled to drop later this month. Besides the fact that one of my favorite groups created an album inspired by one of my favorite places (Hawai'i), this video brings a smile to my face because there's a chance that the Blue Scholars camp will be part of the Hawai'i premiere of my film A Song For Ourselves next month! Bambu and Dj Phatrick are already confirmed. Anyone in Hawai'i mark your calenders, it's going down September 24 in Honolulu. More details to come...



-Tadillac

FILIPINO JERKIN!

"You're A Jerk (Remix)" feat. Intellect, Aspect, ET, T-Know, & ReVision
DOWNLOAD mp3 HERE

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited LA on June 20, 2009 to consolidate support from her Fil-Am allies so she can run for Congress in her province of Pampanga in the upcoming 2010 elections.

She's responsible for 1,013 political killings and over 200 abductions and disappearances, as well as countless corruption scandals such as vote rigging in the 2004 elections.

Her second term as President ends in 2010 and she can no longer run for the presidency. But she is desperately trying to cling to power.

Her alleged plan is to become Speaker of the House and push through with a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass), where the Congress would vote to change the Philippine Constitution through Charter Change (Cha-Cha).

Then they would convert the Congress into a Parliamentary form of government, with herself ruling as the Prime Minister for an indefinite period of time.

What a jerk!

-ET

NEW BLUE SCHOLARS LEAK!

From the forthcoming 10 song Hawai'i-themed "OOF!" EP that drops digitally on August 25th..

Blue Scholars "Hi-808"


Blue Scholars "Coo?"

Chase the dangling carrot and download here

-ET

"THIS IS FOR ALL OF US"

On July 30, 2009, Melissa Roxas speaks to the crowd that gathered at the Court of Appeals. She thanks friends, colleagues and comrades for their support throughout her ordeal.

Arianna Huffington

I'm one of those people who kinda actually really enjoy graduation ceremonies. Maybe because the anxiety that I felt when I was sitting in my own ceremony, is at the same level now some 6 years later. But Arianna is spittin troofs that I really needed to hear.

"I don't see failure as the opposite of success, I see failure as a stepping stone to success."
- Arianna Huffington (wise old white lady)

-Tadillac

Bambu's Response to the Phatrick Phenomenon

Bambu's response to the "Introducing MC Phatrick Video"...



Hilarious!

-Tadillac

Mighty Mos, Cornel West, & The Boogeymen

Colonialism, Imperialism, Terrorism: What's the difference? "Every empire we know use the sword." Mighty Mos and Cornel drops it on Real Time with Bill Maher. Biggups to the homie Manal for sharing this with us.

And I'm loving the new album "The Ecstatic." One of the few new albums on constant rotation for me this summer. Mos Def - "Casa Bey" - The Ecstatic - 6.9.09

-Chris G.

AAMMOM (Asian American Male Moment of the Month) - Phatty's Debut

You may have heard the rumors over the last couple of weeks but now you can see it for yourselves, DJ Phatrick will no longer stay in the background while his darker, better looking music partners get all the glory. On 7/18 at the JACCC Plaza in Little Tokyo, his Phatness took a stand, then took the mic...and reclaimed his marginalized East Asian voice...



-Tadillac

OBAMA, WHAT ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES?

As Obama prepares to meet with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the first time this Thursday, he should be aware of the corrupt and torturous leader that she is.

We demand that he stop wasting OUR tax dollars with U.S. funding of the Philippine military and government.

Please take the time to write a letter to him and educate him about the human rights violations going on in the Philippines. Here is a template letter you can use or even better, please write your own.

Messages to the White House can be sent to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

I AM MELISSA ROXAS

I Am Melissa Roxas from pele pino on Vimeo.

We are Melissa Roxas.

BAY AREA Support 4 Melissa Roxas This THURSDAY!

The USA-Philippines Ecumenical Advocacy Network invites you to Vigil for Human Rights in the Philippines

July 30, 2009 6 pm

St. Patrick’s Catholic Church

756 Mission St.

San Francisco, CA

On the night of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo’s meeting with President Obama, we’re gathering to remember human rights victims and to pray for meaningful change in the militarized situation in the Philippines . Clergy, musicians and concerned advocates from around the Bay area will meet to reflect, sing, light candles and sign a letter to Barack Obama asking him to hold the Philippine Government and its military accountable for the abduction and torture of hundreds of activists, including American citizen Melissa Roxas.

Since Arroyo came to power in 2001, hundreds of clergy, activists and human rights workers have been illegally harassed, abducted, tortured and murdered. Reliable sources such as the United Nations and Amnesty International put the total at 600 disappeared or killed in the last eight years, with additional hundreds of thousands indiscriminately displaced by military exercises and fear-mongering.

In May 2009, an American citizen, Melissa Roxas, was illegally abducted and tortured while on a medical relief mission in the Philippines . President Obama must demand justice for her and for all the other human rights victims in the Philippines . The US taxpayers do not want to support corrupt foreign governments! Demand justice for the Philippines and stop funding the Philippine military!

We ask you to join us for this time of sharing and prayer.

Contact Lindsey Kerr, USA-Philippines Ecumenical Advocacy Network Coordinator, at

lkerr@psr.edu or 412-576-5763

For more information see www.usapan.wordpress.com

SUPPORT MELISSA ROXAS THIS WEDNESDAY IN LA!!

(click on image to enlarge)

Melissa Roxas, a U.S. citizen and victim of abduction and torture by the Philippine military, courageously testifies about her experience at the Court of Appeals in the Philippines on Wednesday.

Please come out and show your support for her all victims of human rights violations at the vigil held by the Justice For Melissa Roxas Campaign at the Philippine Consulate (3600 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010) this Wednesday, July 29th at 6pm.

The vigil is also held in protest to the first ever meeting between President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and President Obama, which will be held the following day on Thursday, July 30th in Washington D.C.

This meeting is being criticized in the U.S. media as mistake since Arroyo has gained a notorious reputation as a corrupt politician and human rights violator.

Read the Washington Times editorial here.

and visit justiceformelissa.org for more info

SOUNDS OF A NEW HOPE @ VC THIS SATURDAY!

SOUNDS OF A NEW HOPE will be playing at Visual Communications' "Best of the Fest: Global Groove" program this Saturday, July 25th at 8pm, followed by a performance by some of the youth who are part of the weekly SAMA SAMA hip-hop workshops we're holding this summer in Carson.

**FYI: We recently changed the title from SOUNDS OF THE NEW HOPE because the original intent was to reference the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and all this time I had mistaken the title for "The New Hope".

Also, "A New Hope" more accurately reflects our intentions for the meaning of the film and it also flows a little bit better off the tongue.

Come thru this Saturday and see the film with its new titles!

for more info, check VC's website

-ET

Violence, Sex, and Drugs Mix

The Tarantino Mixtape from Eclectic Method on Vimeo.

I’m amazed that it’s possible to be more meta than a Quentin Tarantino film. If for some reason you thought that Tarantino’s movies dragged or could have used faster cutting, this mash-up is for you. Simply a must-see.

It’s from Eclectic Method who has also fashioned a remix for 30 Rock, a Fraggle Rock remix, and a remix of the Colbert Report.

(via Popped Culture)

-Chris G.

Did ya'll know that "Death Proof*" was inspired Pilipino Cinema? That's wassup!

Michael Jackson On The Wall

After a playing some ball at the courts near my house, Flo blindfolded me and told me she had a huge surprise she wanted to take me to. After driving around for awhile, thinking we were in San Jo when really she was just driving around the block a couple of times, I lost all my breath when I opened my eyes to see this amazingly, gigantic piece on the wall of Bill's Wheel's Skateshop in Santa Cruz.

Click on it for larger image. Photo by Florence DeKoven

RIP Michael.
-Chris G.

"The Best Day of [Ron Ron's] Life"

Kobe said that after the Lakers lost game six of the '08 NBA Finals in Boston by 39 points, he was alone in the shower, just fuming. He heard somebody walk in and assumed it was one of his teammates, or maybe a staff member. Instead, he looked up, and it was Ron Artest (to this day, Kobe has no idea how Artest got into the locker room).

"I want to come help you," Artest said. "If I can, I'm going to find a way to come to LA and give you the help you need to win a title."

We don't stab folks with broken table legs for beating us 1-on-1 but Welcome to LA Ron Ron!

Lakers,
Chris G.

These fools just keep getting better

GO GO POWER RANGERS | July 1, 2009

-ET

MELISSA ROXAS SPEAKS

LOS ANGELES - On Saturday, June 27th, 2009, Melissa Roxas made her first public appearance at a press conference held at the Echo Park United Methodist Church to let the world know the details of her abduction and torture by agents of the Philippine government and military.

To send a personal message of support to Melissa, please join the "Friends of Melissa Roxas" group on Facebook.

There are over 200 people who are still missing due to government abductions in the Philippines.

Please help put an end to these US-funded human rights violations by calling your local Senator and voicing your opposition to this inhumane misuse of our US tax dollars.

We need to stop funding the corrupt Philippine military and government!

Lebron Wins BET Award to Kobe Chants

True Laker fans always keepin it real. -Chris G.

Telekinesis on KCRW

i'll say it again i jock the seattle music scene. i caught the town's telekinesis on mornings become eclectic the other day and really liked what i heard. but when i heard that the drummer michael benjamin lerner was also the lead singer, i had to watch the video podcast. peep game. miles senzaki step yo game up!



-tadillac

Bambu - "Quit" Video

bam's latest video for "quit" off the ...exact change... album. track produced by illmind:

-tadillac

"There's Still Hip Hop in LA"

Some old footage of Roscoe Umali on the Wake Up Show! Lakers, Chris G.

FUNK FUZZ THIS THURS! SPECIAL GUESTS!

THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 25th!!

Come thru and enjoy SUMMERTIME IN THE LBC at FUNK FUZZ!

hit the store tho, so i can get a 4-0...

special live performances by:
T-KNOW (CounterParts Crew)
ReVISION (The Committee, Mass Movement)
ET (The Committee, Mass Movement)
C-LOS (The Committee, Mass Movement)

spinning live on the 1s & 2s:

KRISSFADER (spinning ALL VINYL)
ET
ROOTS
ReVISION
& C-LOS (guest DJ set)

Que Sera
1923 E 7th St, LBC
FREE BEFORE 11< br>$5 after

(doors open and wheels start spinning at 9pm, live performances begin at 11pm)